Cable installation apparatus

• US 9,774,175 B2
• Filed: 09/18/2009
• Issued: 09/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Inventors: Barker, Philip Alfred, Nolde, Keith Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Satanovsky, Alexander
• Application Number:
  US13/120,124
• Publication Number:
  US 20110178713A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,930 Days
• Field of Search: 702 12, 702 50, 7315229, 73 495
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/52 using fluid, e.g. air
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 1/086 using fluid as pulling means, e.g. liquid, pressurised gas or suction means

Abstract

A device for detecting a flow of air from an exit end of a tube fed into an entrance end of the tube, including a bore having a first section with a first size bore size and a second section with a second bore size, an obstruction located within the bore between the first section and the second section, the obstruction configured to obstruct air flowing from the first section to the second section, and fixing means to fix the device to the tube so that the bore communicates with the exit end of the tube, wherein in use, an air pressure sensor is used to compare air pressure within the first bore section and air pressure within the second bore section, so that a pressure differential is indicative of an air flow within the bore.

Claims

1. A device for detecting a flow of air from an exit end of a tube fed into an entrance end of the tube, and for detecting the arrival of a cable at the exit end of the tube, during a blown cable installation, the device comprising:

a bore having a first bore section with a first bore size and a second bore section with a second bore size;

an obstruction located within the bore between the first bore section and the second bore section, the obstruction comprising a narrowing section of the bore configured to obstruct air flowing from the exit end of the tube to the second bore section via the first bore section, and to retain a bead attached to the cable and exiting the exit end of the tube into the bore of the device;

fixing means to fix the device to the tube so that the bore communicates with the exit end of the tube;

an air pressure sensor for comparing air pressure within the first bore section and air pressure within the second bore section, so that a pressure differential is indicative of an air flow within the bore; and

an induction coil being part of an LC oscillator operatively connected to the device located at or proximate to the obstruction for detection of the bead within the bore.

2. A device according to claim 1, further comprising a first air outlet communicating with the first bore section, and a second air outlet communicating with the second bore section, and wherein in use the air pressure sensor compares pressure of air flowing from the first bore section via the first air outlet, and pressure of air flowing from the second bore section via the second air outlet.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein the first bore size is different from the second bore size.

4. A device according to claim 1, further comprising a signaling unit arranged in use to remotely signal at least one of presence of air flow within the bore or retention of the bead.

5. A device according to claim 4, wherein the signaling unit is a GSM mobile communication device.

6. A device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the pressure sensor or the induction coil is operatively connected to a processor arranged to assist in detection of the air flow within the bore.

7. A device according to claim 6, wherein the processor is further arranged to activate the signaling unit.

8. A device according to claim 1, further comprising an air-porous barrier located at an end of the bore remote from the fixing means.

9. A method of detecting a flow of air from an exit end of a tube, and for detecting the arrival of a cable at the exit end of the tube, during a blown cable installation, the method comprising:

fixing a device to the tube so that a bore within the device communicates with the exit end of the tube, the device comprising

a bore having a first bore section with a first bore size and a second bore section with a second bore size,

an obstruction located within the bore between the first bore section and the second bore section, the obstruction comprising a narrowing section of the bore configured to obstruct air flowing from the exit end of the tube to the second bore section via the first bore section, and

fixing means to fix the device to the tube so that the bore communicates with the exit end of the tube, wherein in use, an air pressure sensor is used to compare air pressure within the first bore section and air pressure within the second bore section, so that a pressure differential is indicative of an air flow within the bore,

feeding air into an entrance end of the tube;

using an obstruction located within the bore of the device to obstruct air flowing from the exit end of the tube to a second bore section of the device via a first bore section of the device;

comparing air pressure levels within the first bore section and the second bore section;

signaling a pressure differential from the comparison as being indicative of an air flow within the bore;

feeding a cable into the entrance end of the tube;

using the obstruction to retain a bead attached to the cable; and

using an induction coil being part of an LC oscillator operatively connected to the device located at or proximate to the obstruction for detection of the bead within the bore to detect the presence of the bead within the device.

10. A method according to claim 9, including initializing the device by comparing air pressure within the first bore section and air pressure within the second bore section, before feeding air into an entrance end of the tube.

11. A method according to claim 9, further comprising:

feeding a cable tipped with a bead into the entrance end of the tube;

using an induction coil to detect retention of the bead within the device; and

signaling presence of the bead within the device as being indicative of cable arrival at the exit end of the tube.